Pursuit Leads to Seizure of 120,000 Contraband Cigarettes by the Central St. Lawrence Valley Regional Task Force

Content created:2007-01-03

(Cornwall, Ontario) On December 23rd , 2006, at 10:55 a.m., an officer from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service noticed a suspicious 1997 Chevrolet Venture van that was registered to a 57 year old female resident of Brockville, Ontario on Cornwall Island in Akwesasne, Ontario. The officer followed the van to Cornwall, Ontario where he activated his emergency equipment to stop the van on Cumberland Street. Suddenly the driver sped through a red lighted intersection and crashed into a fence on Ellen Avenue. The two occupants of the van quickly fled on foot and were not located by police. Further investigation revealed that the van was loaded with contraband cigarettes. Officers from the Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP Detachment were contacted and attended the scene to seize the smuggling vehicle and contraband cigarettes.

Located inside the vehicle were 600 re-sealable bags of contraband cigarettes representing a total of 120,000 illegal cigarettes that originate from the United States. No arrests were made and no bystanders were injured as a result of the fleeing vehicle and subsequent crash.

Organized crime groups involved in smuggling or the illegal distribution and/or manufacturing of controlled or prohibited goods have deleterious social and economic impacts that must be stopped so that our borders remain secure.

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Sgt. Michael Harvey
(613)937-2800 Ext. 293
Central St. Lawrence Valley RCMP Detachment